Nine exposed to rabies near Portales

SANTA FE (KRQE) - Nine people who had contact with a pet dog are getting rabies shots after the animal tested positive for the disease.

The dog began showing signs of rabies last week after being attacked by a skunk early in July, the New Mexico Department of Health reported Wednesday.  The dog died at a veterinary hospital, and a second pet dog also bitten by the skunk will be destroyed, the DOH said.

Neither dog had been vaccinated against rabies.

The DOH also warned pet and livestock owners in Roosevelt County and surrounding areas of the danger of not vaccinating dogs, cats, horse and valuable livestock against the disease.

“People will need to be treated and vaccinated to prevent them from getting rabies, pets may have to be destroyed, and people have been needlessly exposed to a very dangerous, fatal disease because pets have not been vaccinated against rabies,” Dr. Catherine Torres, DOH cabinet secretary, said in a statement released by her office.

Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Paul Ettestad said the discovery of one rabid skunk means there are other skunks and possibly other wildlife in the area that also are infected.

Prompt treatment can prevent people from developing rabies.  Once the disease sets in, however, it is usually fatal.